Louis bagger



(No Model.)-

L. BAGGER. PUUNTAIN SWAB EUR GUN BARRELS.

Patented Dee. 8, 18791.

Tn: norms musas co., commu-1o., ms

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS BAGGER, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

FOUNTAIN-SWAB FOR GUN-BARRELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,843, dated December8, 1891.

Application filed March 27, 1891. Serial No. 336,698. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Louis BAG-GER, a citizen of the United Stat-es, anda resident of lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Improve` ments in Fountain-Swabs for Gun-Barrels;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification,and in which- Figure 1 is a side view of my implement for cleaning andoiling gun-barrels. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the fountain andfeed-tube with the swab removed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional viewof the 'implement as attached to an ordinary cleaning-rod. Fig. 4 is asimilar view showing a somewhat modiiied construction and arrangement ofthe feed-tube and swab. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the implement,showing a modified oonstru'ction of the swab to adapt it for the removalof rust, leading, the., in cleaning foul barrels. Fig. 6 represents across -section through the plane indicated by the broken line marked 0cin Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line y 'y in Fig. fi, and Figs.8 and 9 are details views of some forms of swabbing or oiling disks orwads remoyed y from the fountain.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures.

'This invention relates to implements for cleaning and oilinggun-barrels on the inside (both smooth-bore andvritled) of that typewhich consists of a reservoir or fountain adapted to be fastened upon acleaning-rod and inserted into a gun-barrel and having attached to itone or more swabs of suitable shape and material; and my improvementconsists in the novel and peculiar construction and combination of partsof a cleaning and oiling device of that class, substantially as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, the letter Adesignates the fountain or reservoir, which is preferably cylindrical inshape and closed at its upper end by a removable screw plug or stopperB. This plug has attached to it a flexible washer C, of leather or othersuitable material, held in place by the annular flange D, above which isa screw-threaded stud E, whereby the device may be fastened in the usualscrewthreaded socket F at the lower end of the cleaning-rod G. Thecylindrical fountain or reservoir A terminates in a concentric tube H,which is solid or closed at its lower end and provided with severallongitudinal slits or narrow openings (shown at I) for the grad-l ualescape of the oil. The solid lower end of tube Il is screw-threaded toreceive a milled nut J, which bears against the under side of a circularmetal disk or washer K, between which and the iiat under side of thebody of the reservoir A the swab is disposed.

This swab may either be in one solid piece of suitable absorbentmaterial-such as felt, worsted, or the like*bored through longitudinallyfor the insertion of the feed-tube H, or it may be made in sectionscomprising a number of disks or wads of suitable thickness, as shown atL. The periphery of these swab-disks may be either smooth and circular,as in Figs. 7 and S, or serrated, as in Fig. 9. If the swab is to beused for Shotguns, a swab with smooth sides will be found preferable;but if used for ritled` barrels the serrated form will be found topossess certain advantages, although I have found the smooth disks towork very satisfactorily in riiies. Again, both forms may be usedtogether on the same swab by arranging them alternately upon the tubularstem II. The swab, whether made in one solid piece or several separablesections, is held in place removably by the washer K and nut J.

there the swab is to be subjected to rough usage, it will be foundadvantageous to build it up of a series of disks of leather superimposedupon one another, so that the oil may escape in minute quantities fromthe central feed-tube between the disks just enough to lubricate therims of the disks, or it may be built up of disks of leatherand feltarranged alternately, the capillary action of the felt absorbingsufficient oil to keep the entire body ofthe swab well lubricated at alltimes. Again, all the disks may be made of felt or any other suitablematerial, if so desired; and I -have found white felt wads (or so-calledEnglish bag wads) of good make and firm texture to IOO answer thepurpose admirably simply by punching a hole through their center for theinsertion of the feed-tube.

I desire it, therefore, to be distinctly understood that I do not limitmyself to any particular construction, shape, or material for the bodyof the swab, which may either be of even diameter throughout itsentirelength, as in Fig. 3, or contracted at certain parts so as to formannular oil-recesses M, as in Fig. 4.

vWhen'the device is to be used for scraping and cleaning a foul barrelto remove rust,

powdencake, and leading rather than for oil.

ing a barrel already cleaned, it will be found advantageous to interposeone or more wire brushes or thin disks or washers of soft iron or brass,emery composition, or other suitable material between thelubricating-disks, as shown at N in Fig. 5. The edges of these brushesor scraper-disks, which will always be kept well lubricated by theadjacent oilcharged felt disks or wads, will effectually scrape off andremove all foreign matter adhering to the barrel without doing the leastinjury to the finest-finished barrel.

The diameter of the swab proper should correspond as near as may be tothe gage or caliber of the gun for which it is intended, or be verylittle in excess of it, and the width (diameter) of the fountain orreservoir A should be somewhat less, as indicated by the vertical dottedlines marked .zz in Figs. 3 and 4. In other words, the diameter of thefountain should be contracted from one-sixteenth to one-eighth of aninch, more or less, so that the sides of the swab, as well as thevflexible top washer C, will overlap the body of the fountain at top andbottom, which will prevent the sides of the fountain from coming inactual contact with the inside of the barrel in using the device. I alsoprefer to round off or bevel the top and bottom edges of the fountain,as shown in the drawings, so that it cannot possibly scratch orotherwise injure even the finest and most delicate barrel if by anyaccident it should accidentally touch it. However, as this fountain ispreferably made of brass or other soft metal, it could do no injury, andthe rounding or beveling of the edges is merely an extra additionalprecaution, as I desire the implement to be made as perfect as possible.

To use this device, the fountain A is filled with oil (clarifiedsperm-oil or refined neatysfoot oil mixed with from one-third toone-half its-bulk of kerosene is the best) by removing the screw-plug B,which is reinserted after Iillin g, and the device is attached to thecleaning-rod byscrewing the stud E into the socket F, as usual. The oil,filling the tube H, will ooze out through the narrow slits or outlets Iinto the surrounding body of the swab, which will soon become thoroughlycharged and impregnated, when it is ready for use. As leather is not aready absorbent, alternate disks of leather and felt (or other suitableabsorbent material) should be used, as hereinbefore stated, when theswab is to be made partially of leather, as the intermediateabsorbentdisks will then supply the oil to the exposed rims of the leather disks.When the disks give out through continuous usage for a long time, theymay be readily removed and fresh ones substituted simply by removing thewasher K and jam-nut J. By furnishing a punch and wad-cutter of suitablesize with the implement as a part of the outfit sportsmen can easilymake the disks themselves by punching holes through thick felt wads ofthe proper gage and slip them upon the tube until a swab has been builtup of proper length. One of these perforated wads is shown in Fig. 8.

Instead of slitting tube I-I longitudinally, it

may of course be perforated, ask shown in Fig. 4t, to provide means forthe escape of the oil, or openings ot" any other desired size and shapemay be used.

It will be obvious that the use of this implement is not by any meanslimited to the oiling of guns, as the fountain may be supplied withliquids other than oil. By increasing the capacity (length) of thefountain and filling it with hot water or soapsuds the device may beused most effectually for cleaning dirty barrels, removing rust,powder-cake, and leading. Where the swabvis to be used for this purpose,the operator should be provided with two swabs--viz., one with a largereservoir for cleaning and another with a smaller fountain for oilingafter cleaningthe barrels being swabbed out carefully with a dry swabbefore the oil is applied, so as to effectually remove all traces ofwater.' By giving the nut J a turn or two the swab may be compressedlongitudinally whendesired, so as to increase its diameter or width,thereby compensating for wear, and by the same operation the oil withwhich the body of the swab is charged will be squeezed out upon theouter surface, thus increasing the supply of oil for lubricatingpurposes. vBy loosening the nut the swab will expand longitudinally andabsorb more oil (or other liquid, as the case may be) from thefeed-tube, and after the swab has been thus charged and its diameter orgage properly adjusted by the jamnut it will feed itself from thefountain without requiring further manipulation or attention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination, with thefountain having a reduced neck or extension provided vwith a series offine apertures, of the column of wads or washers built up upon andaround IOO the apertured neck, so as to cover the orifices as and forthe purpose herein shown and described. 4

In testimony that l claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoaffixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS BAGGrER.y

Witnesses:

BENNETT S. JONES, ARTHUR B. SEIBOLD.

